French to lose freedom to smoke

France may well be considered a nation of smokers, but the government is attempting to stub-out the unhealthy habit. From Thursday, smoking in many public buildings will become illegal, making thousands of addicts unhappy.

“I think it's a shame they've had to pass a law,” says Pierre Barnerias, an executive. “It shows we failed to respect each other and they have to invent a law to make us do so.”